


Personal Protective Equipment

by orphan_account



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Catra is a depressed, overworked double major, Adora is a student athlete with a thing for brunettes. Oh, and they're lab partners.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 261





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. I'm a woman of science. I've never written serious fiction in my goddamn *life*. One time I did a full 50k for NaNoWriMo and deleted the whole thing permanently the second it was done. OK? I don't do this, I don't go here, but I'm gay and have a lot of feelings so we're going for it. Feedback is encouraged. Smut eventually, romance eventually, let's take our time. Sorry if my writing style is grating or if my canadian-ness is painful, it's just who I am. Also, I don't know what a sophomore is and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask.

“A-doraaaa! Please?”

Glimmer was _not_ making this easy for her. She had Adora’s hands firmly clasped in front of her, and that look in her eyes wasn’t helping either. Saying no to her was already hard enough, and now it looked like she was on the verge of _tears._ Ugh. Seriously? Why was this so hard?

“Fine. But! If I fail this class, you’re paying for it. And—”

Adora didn’t get a chance to finish. The verge of tears thing? Gone in an _instant_. What a ruse.

“YESSS! I knew you’d do it. Thanks, Adora. I just can’t imagine doing organic chemistry alone! I don’t know anyone taking it this term, and I’ve heard the professor is _such_ an asshole. Maybe we can even get into the same lab section? You should check if there are any slots left in mine! It’s on Wednesday morning.”

Adora sighed. It was the day before the start of the term, and they both knew that the only lab with any spots left would be the one on Friday afternoon, if there were any at all. She took a sip of her iced tea, opened a tab for the university’s booking system, and typed in _CHEM 2600_. _This is not going to be fun_ , she thought to herself. The silver nitrate incident in her first chemistry class had left emotional wounds that weren’t finished healing yet. Who needs organic chemistry, anyway? Glimmer’s biochemistry degree required it, obviously, but kinesiology students didn’t really have to take it. Most of them took biology classes for their science credits, and everyone knows that organic is the worst kind of chemistry. She frowned.

“Oh, come _on_ , Adora! It won’t be that bad! I’ll help you. We can study together!”

“You remember how that went like, all the previous times we’ve tried? I’ll do this for you, because you’re my friend, but I’m _not_ going to enjoy it, OK?”

Glimmer nodded sheepishly. Having your best friend as a roommate had its perks, but productivity wasn’t usually one of them. They’d been in a few classes together before—a lot of science programs have overlapping requirements, especially in first year—but both of them had started to specialize in their second years, and soon they’d be on totally different trajectories.

“This might be the last time we actually take a class together, come to think of it,” Adora mused. “There aren’t any spaces left in your lab section, though.”

“Can’t have everything!” Glimmer beamed.

Adora sighed, and reluctantly enrolled herself in the Friday afternoon lab. There were a couple others free, but she had practice on Tuesday mornings and none of the other times worked with her schedule. _So be it._

“Oh, shit! It’s almost six! Bow’s gonna be here any minute.” Glimmer practically launched herself out of her seat and ran off to get dressed. Bow was Glimmer’s high school sweetheart, and they were _nauseatingly_ cute together. As far as Adora was concerned, he was the only man she’d willing allow across the threshold of their apartment.

Glimmer dashed out of the house just minutes later, leaving Adora to her own devices. _Guess I’d better prep, or something_. She pulled up her school’s blackboard on her laptop, and mindlessly clicked around for a while before giving up and putting on a movie. Glimmer wouldn’t be back until late, possibly not even the next day, so she had the place to herself for the night. Going for a run would probably be a good idea, but… whatever.

***

Campus in September was breathtaking. As Adora stepped off the bus, she stopped for a moment to take it all in. The morning sun was warm, though the air was still a little chill. Songbirds flitted about the shrubs and trees beside the bus loop, and a tall row of lilies lined the pathway leading to the main quad. Ancient, stately oaks towered over the boulevard. These were Adora’s favourite: there was something so resolute, so unshakeable about them. They were calm and reassuring, which she appreciated, since the first-day-of-the-semester crowds usually threw her for a loop. She set off for the chemistry building, but not in any particular hurry. It wouldn’t be long before campus was blanketed in piles of soft snow, so why not enjoy the summer while it lasted? The landscaping was so beautiful, and she wished she had a few more minutes to take it all in.

“Adora! Over here!” Glimmer waved her down as she bustled into the lecture hall. She’d gotten distracted and was very nearly late, but Glimmer was very uptight about attendance, so at least she had a good seat near the front. As she sat down, she looked around to survey the wide range of faces milling about the room. Adora was always on the lookout for a rainbow flag pin, or a hot girl with an undercut, or— _oh, hello._ A grumpy-looking brunette had sidled in seconds before the ancient professor at the front of the room was due to start droning about the syllabus. Something about her scruffy, tousled brown hair caught Adora’s eye, and she let her gaze linger for a bit longer than most people would consider socially acceptable. The girl didn’t seem to notice, though; there weren’t very many free seats, and she was preoccupied with scanning the room for an empty one. She lingered at the front of the room for a moment before deciding to make a dash for the one a few rows behind Adora.

When the professor’s yarn commenced, Adora wondered why she’d even bothered coming for the first day. There is _nothing_ interesting about a syllabus. Even Glimmer looked bored. That girl _was_ pretty gorgeous, though, and Adora found herself grappling with the urge to turn and look behind her. Listening attentively to boring old men was not a strong suit of hers, and eventually she lost her internal battle and stole a quick glance backwards. The brunette was _asleep_. Adora couldn’t believe it. It was like, ten o’clock in the morning! She might not be focused, but at least she wasn’t drooling on the desk. She smiled quietly to herself and turned back to the empty notebook in front of her, and daydreamed contentedly for the rest of the class.

***

The first few days of class are never exciting, and this semester was no exception. By the time Thursday morning rolled around, Adora found that all she had on her mind was trying to catch the eye of that hot brunette from the first day. She’d even spent just a _tiny_ bit of extra time making herself presentable after hockey practice, which was even more brutal than usual—it felt like she’d skated intervals for an eternity before she found herself walking to class again. This time, she didn’t dawdle.

She took her usual place next to Glimmer, and found herself watching the door more intently than she expected to.

“Hey Adora? Everything okay? You seem… distracted.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess.” Distracted was pretty normal for Adora. She drummed her fingers on the side of her face, which she’d propped up with her elbow on the folding desktop in front of her.

“You’re not… waiting for that girl you were gawking at last class, are you?

 _Oh_. So she’d noticed.

“Um.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. Adora was always drooling over some stranger that she’d never work up the guts to talk to, and this one wasn’t even _here_.

She spent most of the lecture staring at the door. The professor was knee-deep in some business about electrons, and Glimmer was taking furious notes. Adora, on the other hand, hadn’t managed to jot down much more than the date and the name of the course at the top of her notebook. She half-heartedly made an effort to pay attention for the last twenty minutes of class, but her disappointment was tangible. _Maybe she dropped the course_ , she thought to herself. _Too bad. She was cute – not that I’d ever have the guts to do anything about it_. _She could even be straight!_ _Ugh, I can’t just go assuming everyone’s gay._ She groaned internally. _Well, no sense dwelling on it now_.

***

Labs didn’t start for another week, and other than chemistry, Adora was actually finding her classes pretty tolerable. She really did like learning about the human body – it’s amazing what it can do, how it works, and how it hurts, and heals. It didn’t hurt that the program is mostly composed of super-fit women, either. Most of them were on sports teams, and Adora was no exception. She’d been playing hockey since the age of seven, and it was her high school coach who gave her the push she needed to get serious about university in the first place. She had never been amazing academically, but with the prospect of university-level hockey on her mind, she’d managed to pull up her grades enough senior year to get into a decent school, and even won a little scholarship.

The season would be starting soon, and she was determined to make a good impression. Last year, she’d only made the third line, and didn’t even get to play in every game. She had a firm resolve to make sure this year was different. At practice, she gave it everything she had. Most days, she was up at 5:30, always trying to squeeze in a run or some gym time before class. Early to bed, early to rise. She liked to keep herself busy.

Two weeks slipped by, and when the first day of labs rolled around, Adora was nervous. Glimmer warned her that they just dive right into it on day one; nobody eases into anything in o-chem. So when Adora found herself standing in front of the laboratory door on Friday afternoon, she was more than a little nervous.

At exactly two o’clock, a disinterested-looking graduate student opened the door and ushered the crowd of students outside the door into the lab. It looked like something from a history book – there were _chalkboards_ on the wall, the benchtops were scratched and worn, and two massive wooden fume hoods sat at the back of the room. As Adora pulled on her lab coat, the TA frowned.

“Excuse me? Did you read the e-mail? You have to wear long pants in the lab.”

Adora looked down at her legs. _Fuck_. She was wearing shorts; she hadn’t even thought about adjusting her usual attire for the lab. _Nice going_ , she murmured to herself.

“Do you have something you can switch into? If not, you’ll have to go to the supply room and ask to buy a temporary pair of lab pants.” He chuckled. “They’re not comfortable—or fashionable—but at least I won’t have to give you a zero on the first day.”

Adora reddened. She left the room in a hurry and found the supply room, where a bemused technician charged her five dollars for a pair of hideous paper pants. She raced back to the lab, pulled them on, and sheepishly shuffled back inside. The TA smirked at her and pointed to a place at an empty bench. There was a little piece of paper with her name, a locker number, and a combo on it, and she worked on catching up on finding her glassware while the TA started to lecture.

 _So, today we’re going to jump right in and start with a basic synthesis – I don’t expect you all to have a solid handle on the details yet, but an esterification is a good place to start. Now, set up the clamps on your bench like I’ve shown in the diagram on the board, and we’ll get started in a moment_. _This is a partnered experiment: you’ll be working with the student next to you._

Adora looked around. The stool next to her was empty, though there was a slip of paper on the benchtop in front of it. Each of the other five benches in the room had two students, most of them already busy with their clamps and setups. After fumbling around with her lock for a moment, she managed to find her clamps and catch up before the TA resumed his lecture. _No partner for me,_ she mused. _Great._

_Now – we should have a word about safety before we get going—_

He was interrupted by the sound of the laboratory door swinging open, and as it did, a particularly scruffy-looking brunette stormed in. Adora’s eyes widened. The TA tutted at her for being late and shooed her towards her seat, which Adora had deduced was probably the empty one directly beside her. _Welp. This is happening._ The latecomer tossed her bag down on the floor next to Adora and sat down emphatically. She didn’t spare Adora a glance before getting to work on opening her locker. That was _probably_ a good thing, since Adora was kind-of, maybe, staring at her just a little. Nobody had any business looking that good in a lab coat. The hood of her maroon sweatshirt poked out over the back of the coat, and Adora could see ripped black jeans adorning her legs.

When the TA finished his lecture, the brunette turned to look at her.

“Hi. What the _hell_ are you wearing?”

Adora turned to look at her, cheeks deepening to a cherry red.

“Um. I, uh, wore shorts? So I had to get these.” The other girl smirked. “Oh, I’m Adora, by the way! I guess we’re lab partners?”

“I guess so. I’m Catra.”

Adora rolled the name around in her head for a moment. Catra. _That’s a nice name._

“Nice to meet you!” Adora beamed. Catra narrowed her eyes.

“Whatever. Let’s just… get this over with.”

Adora took a deep breath, and surveyed the glassware in her drawer. _Round bottom flask? Okay. Sure. I know what that is._

Catra looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Do you have _any_ idea what you’re doing?” she prodded.

“Um. Well, no. But I think we need this? Right?” She triumphantly presented a small Erlenmeyer flask. “Wait. That’s not right – it says _round bottom_. Hmmm…..”

Catra sat back and watched the blonde rummage around in the drawer. She wasn’t about to point out the round bottom flask for Adora—at least not yet. It was sitting right at the front of the drawer, inside of a beaker. Gosh, how dumb could this girl be? _I wonder what a ditz like her is doing in this class_.

After a few minutes of watching Adora grow more frustrated by the list of glassware she’d never heard of—and doing absolutely _nothing_ to help—Catra realized they’d probably never finish on time if she didn’t step in.

“OK. That’s it. This one,” she said, fishing out the flask from the front of the drawer, “is a round bottom flask. This one is the addition funnel, and we need a stir bar, too.”

Adora nodded, a little awestruck. _She knows chemistry! Well, at least the glassware._ Catra wasn’t about to let on that it was her second time taking this class. She had a minor attendance problem last term and they ended up failing her for sleeping through the lab exam, but she wasn’t about to let the blonde in on that just yet.

“Over there in the fume hood, the reagents are prepped for us – all you have to do is pump them into the flask and bring it back here. Got it?”

Another nod. Despite the affirmative gesture, Adora made no move for the flask. Catra sighed.

“OK. Fine. Come with me.”

Catra spent the next two and a half hours brusquely guiding Adora through the rest of the experiment. They were supposed to be working together, but since Catra had done this once before and Adora was pretty much clueless, the contributions weren’t exactly equal. By the end of the lab, they had successfully obtained a small amount of pale yellow liquid, which Adora proudly stowed in her locker for next week. The TA didn’t seem to care that Adora was following Catra around like a lost puppy the whole time; as long as they didn’t set anything on fire, he was content to sit at the front of the room and do whatever it is that teaching assistants do. Before everyone left, he reminded them:

“Remember folks, the reports are due at the start of the next lab. Everything you need to know is on Blackboard, but give yourself more time than you think you need. It’s not as easy as you might expect. Oh, and even though you work together in the lab, you do have to write your own reports. See you next week.”

As the students rose to leave, Adora gave Catra a smile.

“Thanks for everything today. If you hadn’t known what was going on, that might have been like, a total disaster.”

Catra shrugged. “It’s whatever. I just wanted to finish on time.”

“Well, thank you. See you next week?” Her voice sounded just a touch too hopeful. Catra definitely noticed, and raised an eyebrow slightly. Adora turned away, partly to hide her reddening cheeks, partly to busy herself with undoing her lab coat.

Catra lingered, just for a moment – long enough to notice that _holy shit she is jacked._ Unlike Adora, her face didn’t betray every feeling that ever crossed her mind, but that didn’t mean she was about to look away. Adora caught her glance, and somehow started blushing even harder. Catra gave her a smirk.

“Sure. See you next week.”

***

 _Fuck_. She was hot _and_ smart? Adora groaned to herself. She’d been completely useless in there – Catra had done pretty much the entire experiment, and Adora had just followed her around like a distracted puppy. _Distracted._ Always distracted. Why were the hot girls always so moody?

The consternation must have been written on Adora’s face. She had just barely gotten her shoes off when Glimmer noticed something was up.

“Adora? You OK?” She looked… genuinely concerned. _Huh,_ Adora thought. _Perceptive as always._

“I’m fine. I think. I had my first lab just now.” She started rummaging around in the fridge for something to eat, but Glimmer stopped her.

“There’s soup, Bow brought it over. Have some! But, seriously though, what happened to you in that lab? You look like you’ve been through it tonight.”

Adora mulled the question over. _What did happen in that lab?_ Catra had been very instructive, and even though she was terse, it _was_ pretty helpful. She furrowed her brow.

“Well,” she started. “You, uh, remember that girl from the first day?”

Glimmer balked. “Don’t tell me she was your lab partner. She’s not. … Is she?”

Adora nodded curtly. “And I was totally useless in there! I didn’t have a _clue_ what was going on. I just followed her around, nodding like a total dumbass while she explained what everything was. I don’t even know if I remember any of it!” She groaned. “She probably thinks I’m _such_ an idiot.”

“But she was helpful? Like she knew what to do?” Glimmer asked.

“That’s the thing! She knew _exactly_ what to do. It was easy for her.” Adora grumbled. “I was almost wondering if she’d done it before.”

“Maybe she’s just good at chemistry? And it’s not like it’s a _bad_ thing to have a hot, super-smart girl for a lab partner,” Glimmer added. Adora glared at her.

“Glimmer. I can _not_ get involved with my lab partner. We have to spend a whole _term_ working together!”

Glimmer put on her best innocent face. “Who said anything about getting involved?”

Adora rolled her eyes. “You are the _worst._ ”

Truth told, Adora _had_ been thinking about “getting involved”. Catra was undeniably attractive—even with that boring old lab coat on—and she was pretty smart to boot. Adora wondered what she was like under that cold, calm exterior. Catra had been more than helpful, but Adora could tell that the other girl was pretty closed-off. She hadn’t seemed interested in small talk, and Adora couldn’t even muster up the strength to ask her what her major was. She’d never been good with working up the courage to talk to the people that caught her eye – in first year she’d sat next to this really sweet girl in English for a whole term and barely managed to learn her name by the time finals rolled around. She sighed. _Useless_. _I am a useless lesbian._ How was she going to survive a whole semester with this girl? The upside, she figured, was that Catra hadn’t seemed shy about teasing her about the pants. That was something. Right?

***

On Saturday, Adora was scheduled for a full half-day of training. She laced up her skates at the impeccable hour of six-thirty AM, and proceeded to spend the morning doing drills and skating intervals. Adora was an above-average skater, but she was by no means the fastest girl on the team. Her stickhandling was pretty good, and she had a solid backcheck game. Coupled with her strength, she made a great all-rounder—or she liked to think so, at least. She knew she wasn’t first-line material, that’s for sure. The first line is for the fast skaters with impeccable hands, the ones who score the most goals and dominate on the power play. They had to be solid defensively too, but first line was all about offense.

That wasn’t Adora, and she was fine with that. It’s good to be realistic, right? So she set her sights on the second line. She played right wing, the same position since childhood, and things seemed to be lining up in her favour. The obvious shoo-in for right wing on the first line was a fourth year student who’d had that position for years; there was pretty much no contest there. With three other right wing spots up for grabs, and only four contenders, she felt like she had a pretty good shot. Her coach seemed to appreciate the effort she was putting in, too; Adora wasn’t one to slack off at practice. She gave it everything she had, and by the time the game of four-on-four that all Saturday practices finish with was wrapped up, she was _spent_.

As she dragged her hockey bag out of the arena, she groaned to herself about the homework she had to do. There were assignments due in two of her kinesiology courses, and a literature report in her virology class, and then there was that lab report… Whew. _I wonder if Glimmer’s done hers yet_. Collaborating was probably their best bet – Adora knew that Glimmer wasn’t very confident about this class, and there was safety in numbers. That’s how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place, after all. If she wasn’t hanging out with Bow, it would probably be good to get the report out of the way.

When she got home, it turned out that Glimmer had the same idea. She was sitting at the kitchen table, lab notebook open, piles of paper splayed around her in a mess of barely-organized chaos. A cup of turbid-looking coffee sat next to her, half-full.

“Hey Glimmer,” Adora called. “How’s the report going?”

Glimmer dragged her hands down her face and groaned. Adora winced.

“That good, huh?”

“This is _horrible_!” Glimmer whined. “I don’t even know what a molecular orbital _is_! How am I supposed to draw one?”

Adora sauntered over and looked at the mess of papers on the table.

“Maybe you should take a break? Have you eaten lunch yet? We should rustle something up. I am _starving_.”

“That sounds good. Let’s tackle this together after, OK? I could really use some help.”

Adora wasn’t sure how much help she was going to be, but she wasn’t about to protest. She was much more interested in the task at hand: lunch.

“Yeah, of course. What do you want to eat? Not much in the fridge right now, is there…” Adora leaned in and surveyed the contents: leftover soup (dregs), tofu (half a block), lettuce (one head), and some hummus. Not really post-practice lunch material.

“How about we get some pho? I haven’t had it in _ages_.” At the prospect of going out for lunch, Glimmer perked up almost immediately. 

“YES! Yes. Absolutely. Are you ready to leave? We can go right now, since you’re hungry?”

Adora looked down at herself, as if to survey how acceptable her outfit was for a pho outing. Black athletic shorts hung loosely at her thighs, and her gray tank top seemed respectable enough for a casual lunch. She was satisfied, and a moment later she was sliding into the passenger seat of Glimmer’s ancient sedan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK listen, there were like a thousand different directions I could have gone here but I ended up being happiest with this one. It's a bit short - I'll try to make the next one a little longer. Hope you enjoy!

Broad daylight was peeking through the curtains when Catra managed to rouse herself from sleep. _God, my head is pounding_. How much had she drank last night, anyway? She had no idea what time it was – clearly daytime – but she did know she felt like absolute shit. Simultaneously nauseous and starving, the perfect hangover combo. She rummaged around in her sheets for her phone and saw that it was already noon. _Not bad_ , she mused. She’d slept in much later than that before. Noon wasn’t even that shameful, in the grand scheme of things, and it was Saturday, so who cares? She leaned over for her water bottle and knocked back the contents, and then had to fight to keep it down. Yikes.

She didn’t bother looking in the fridge. More alcohol wasn’t going to do her any good now; she needed food, preferably something warm and easy on the tummy. As she stumbled into the kitchen, she surveyed the state of her apartment. Empty beer cans on the counter, dirty dishes in the sink, clothes all over the place… Living alone has its perks, but with nobody around to scold you for making a mess, things can devolve into chaos pretty quickly. She sighed. She had homework to do, an apartment to tidy up, and this _pounding_ headache wasn’t helping either. _An iced coffee would be nice_ , she thought. _And a bowl of soup. Oh!_ The Vietnamese place across the street had iced coffee, and pho would be really easy on the tummy. After pulling on yesterday’s jeans and a clean-ish hoodie, she headed out the door.

The pho restaurant across the street was one of Catra’s favourite places. It was an old-fashioned sort of place, the kind of restaurant where nothing had changed in thirty years – maybe more. The service was simple: walk in, line up, order and pay at the register, and take a number to your table. Nobody was going to come by and dote on you; if you needed something, you could line up again and ask at the counter. There was an inherent beauty to that kind of straightforwardness that resonated with Catra, and she found herself standing in line here, bathed in cool fluorescent lighting, a bit more often than she’d like to admit. But hey, life’s little comforts, right?

Right. So when she pushed the door open and saw Adora standing at the back of the line, the shreds of comfort that she was holding onto went up in smoke. She didn’t _want_ to run into someone who might take the liberty of a conversation with her; she wanted to get her pho, scurry back up to her apartment, and eat it with the lights off. She contemplated leaving—there were other places to eat, after all—but before she could make up her mind, she’d been spotted. Adora must have seen her from the corner of her eye when she’d turned to say something to the pink-haired girl at her side, and when she noticed Catra, she smiled. Catra was suddenly feeling very small, and she couldn’t help but wondering who the girl with her was. _Girlfriend?_ Hmph. Regardless, it was too late to back out now, so she trudged over to meet them.

“Hey, Catra! Fancy, uh, seeing you here. You feeling okay?” Adora looked concerned. Was it that obvious? Ugh. She didn’t even manage to muster a response before Adora added:

“Oh, this is Glimmer, my roommate! She’s in our organic chemistry class, too.” Glimmer beamed, and gave her a dumb little wave.

“Hey. Nice to meet you, I guess. Catra,” she muttered. She was _not_ in the mood to be harangued by two attractive, overly-friendly women this early in the day.

“Soooooo, Catra! Adora tells me you’re like, pretty great at chemistry.” Adora balked as the words came out of Glimmer’s mouth, and Catra couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow at her. Fortunately for Adora, they had just found themselves at the front of the line, and she was thankful for the brief diversion from _that_ conversation. She couldn’t help but worry, though; Catra didn’t look like she was doing so hot, and she didn’t seem to be waiting for anyone, either. So, once Glimmer was busy paying for her own food, Adora leaned in.

“Did you want to eat lunch with us? You don’t have to or anything. I just—um, unless you’re waiting for someone?”

Catra looked surprised. She definitely wasn’t waiting for anyone. Her head still hurt, but if she ate here then _technically_ she’d have quicker access to the coffee and soup she was oh-so looking forward to. The restaurant was pretty quiet, and the eager, inviting gaze of the blonde next to her made this an easy decision.

“Okay. Sure. Yeah, I’ll meet you at the table in a sec?” she offered.

Adora smiled.

***

Adora carefully selected a booth by the window. It was overcast out, but she didn’t mind. The natural light seeping in was pleasant, and people-watching would be a welcome distraction if conversation turned awkward with their unexpected lunch guest. As she squeaked along the vinyl, she watched Glimmer wander over. At the counter, Catra was slouched over, hands in her pockets. She was wearing ripped black jeans again— _the same ones from yesterday?_ —Adora wondered. Different hoodie, at least.

Glimmer sat down and gave Adora a look.

“You invited her to eat with us? _Really?_ ”

“Aw, c’mon, Glimmer! You saw how she looked when she walked in. A little company won’t kill you. She looks like she could use it…” She trailed off.

“It’s not about the company! I just don’t know if I’m ready to watch you two flirt for an entire meal.” Adora balked at the implication.

“Flirt?? No no no. I mean, she’s hot and everything, but I don’t even know if she’s single, or gay, or um—”

“Adora,” Glimmer quieted to a harsh whisper. “You are the most oblivious person I have _ever_ met. She was staring at your arms the entire time you were ordering. She’s gay. And if she’s not single—”

She stopped abruptly. Catra was walking over, iced coffee in hand. She practically collapsed into the booth (next to Glimmer, but who’s counting?) and set her coffee down on the table. Adora, still flustered, gave her a weak smile.

“So, um. _Are_ you feeling okay? No offense or anything, but you look a little rough around the edges today.” The look of concern had returned to Adora’s face, and Catra wondered if she was always that easy to read.

She took a gulp of iced coffee before she replied.

“I’ll be fine in a minute. It was just… a _wild_ Friday night.” She gave Adora a look.

Glimmer coughed, a little conspicuously. Catra shot her a look that said _let me have my fun_. Glimmer crinkled her nose in return, and Adora was suddenly not feeling so sure that she was going to make it through lunch without initiating a self-destruct sequence. This girl was obviously teasing her, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Catra had been up to the night before. Out on the town? In a stranger’s bed? The truth was much less glamorous, of course, but it was all the same to Adora.

She decided to change the subject.

“So, Catra. What’s your major? Chemistry, right?” she asked.

Catra leaned back a little. “Double major, actually. Chemistry and bio.”

“Double major? Wow. But you don’t even come to class…” Adora trailed off, and Catra’s face couldn’t hide her surprise.

“How would you know that? You didn’t even know who I was before yesterday.”

Adora reddened. _Oops. Shit_. Busted.

“I, um. I just mean I didn’t recognize you? From class?”

Catra said nothing. She was a little annoyed that Adora had somehow already noticed her bad habits, but at least the blonde seemed embarrassed about it. She turned to Glimmer.

“What about you, Sparkles? What’s your major?” Glimmer perked up at being invited back into the conversation, but furrowed her brow at the unwelcome nickname.

“Biochemistry! I want to study cancer someday. And it’s Glimmer.”

Adora was quietly pleased that Catra seemed comfortable enough to tease her friend. Before Catra could make a retort, though, three bowls of steaming hot soup materialized on the table, alongside a plate piled high with fresh mint, thai basil, bean sprouts, red chiles, and lime wedges. Adora practically threw three of the chiles into her bowl, and began decorating to her liking: a squeeze of lime, some torn-up mint, and a big pile of bean sprouts. The whole run-in with Catra had distracted her from her hunger temporarily, but the enchanting smell of the broth lingering under her nose brought it back with a fury that threatened to uproot whatever dignity she had left. A little growl emanated from her midsection, and Catra gave her a look.

“Geez, Adora. Skip breakfast?”

Adora blew on a spoonful of soup. “Never. Actually, I had a huge breakfast, but then I also had hockey practice for six hours. I’m starving.”

_Hockey? No wonder she’s so fit_. Catra smiled. _That’s kinda hot, actually…_ Then a rumble from her own stomach jolted her back to reality, and Adora gave her a smirk of her own. Glimmer had busied herself with constructing an intricate bean sprout mountain on the surface of her bowl while her soup cooled, mostly to avoid being a part of whatever was going on with the two dorks next to her.

The three of them settled into a comfortable quiet while they ate. Adora was secretly thrilled that she’d gotten a proper smile out of Catra, and she couldn’t help but wonder where things might go with this girl if she put in a little effort. If Glimmer hadn’t been there, she might have even been able to fool herself into thinking this was a date… Even if it _was_ an accidental run-in. Either way, she was content.

An hour later they were back at home – with Catra in tow. Conversation at lunch had eventually shifted to the lab report, and Catra had reluctantly agreed to come over and help the clueless duo out with some of the theory. It _definitely_ didn’t have anything to do with the opportunity to a spend a little more time with the sweet, well-muscled blonde from the lab; she was just being nice, right? Right.

“No, Sparkles. Listen. You’ve got this all wrong – ugh. OK. Let’s take a step back.” Catra breathed deeply. She was beginning to wonder if this was worth it after all; they’d been at this for a while now.

“Let’s think about chemical bonds. OK? Just a simple bond. Two atoms, linked by _what_?”

“Electrons?” Glimmer looked hopeful. She knew that one.

Catra nodded. “Right. Electrons. And they’re being shared – that’s what makes it a bond. But the thing about electrons is that they behave a little weirdly; we don’t actually know _exactly_ where an electron is at any given time, bonded or un-bonded.”

Glimmer nodded slowly. Adora, at the other end of the table, looked like her eyes were glazing over. Still, she nodded a slow affirmative for Catra to continue.

“OK. So a molecular orbital is just a picture that you can draw as a _best guess_ as to where the electrons in a bond _should be_ – roughly speaking.” She pointed to the pictures she’d drawn on the little whiteboard that Adora and Glimmer normally used to track their chores.

“Even if you don’t really _get it_ , you can still apply it pretty easily. See this one? This is a sigma orbital. Pretty much any single bond is going to look like this. For double bonds, you add in this one.” She pointed to the pi orbital.

“So in the report all they want you to do is show them the molecule you made, and draw molecular orbitals for a couple parts of it. Simple, right?”

Catra surveyed her lunchmates-turned-students. Adora’s eyes still looked vacant, but she perked up when Catra looked at her.

“Actually, I think I can do this now! Thank you so much, Catra.” Adora gave her a warm smile. “And Glimmer? You look kinda done. We can finish this up later, I think I get it.”

“I was worried you’d _never_ say that. Whew. I texted Bow to come rescue me like, forty-five minutes ago, but he just got off work at 3.” Glimmer leaned back in her chair.

“Anyway, Catra? Thanks. I still don’t really get it but I _super_ appreciate that you tried. You didn’t have to, you know.” Catra felt a tinge of embarrassment at Glimmer’s comment. She really _didn’t_ have to – Glimmer and Adora were relative strangers, and honestly, she wasn’t normally this nice to _anyone_. She furrowed her brow at the thought. All this for a blonde she met less than 24 hours previous? Yeah. She was _screwed_.

“It’s whatever, Sparkles. I didn’t have anything else going on today.”

Glimmer nodded, and then looked down at her blinking phone.

“Oh, finally! Bow’s here! See you both later. Nice to meet you, Catra!” She gave Adora a quick wink before running off to grab her backpack. Adora paled at the realization that she was about to be alone with Catra – she hadn’t expected Glimmer to get bored and just _ditch_ them. She felt the pace of her heartbeat picking up, and a cold wave of anxiety washed over her as Glimmer headed out the door.

Catra hadn’t expected this, either. She was still annoyed with herself for being so eager to help these two with this report. Her headache was making a return—normally she’d be on her second or third coffee of the day at this point—and she found herself sitting in silence with Adora for a brief moment. As she looked up, though, she noticed how _pale_ Adora had gone. A wisp of hair had escaped her ponytail, and her gaze was cast to the side, away from Catra.

“Adora? Are… you okay?” Catra sheepishly inquired. Adora brought her eyes up to meet Catra’s, almost ruefully.

“I guess I just didn’t expect Glimmer to ditch us like that?” She half-heartedly muttered. Truth told, she was _really_ nervous about being alone with Catra, and she knew it was obvious.

“Yeah… me neither,” Catra said, quietly. They sat quietly for another moment.

“Adora?” she added, “I think you’re really nice, and I’d be happy to spend more time with you… Outside the lab, if you know what I mean.” Catra couldn’t help but blush a little as the words escaped her mouth. “But you also look pretty uncomfortable right now. Do you want me to go?”

Adora’s worried gaze softened. _So there’s more to her than just teasing_. She felt a tinge of comfort at the thought, and let her tensed shoulders drop a little.

“You don’t have to go… Unless you want to, of course. I guess I just didn’t expect to end up alone with you so soon.” Adora gave her a weak smile. “You seem really nice, too. I’d be really happy to get to know you more – and Catra? Thanks for being so kind today.”

Catra turned away to hide the tinge of pink creeping up her cheeks. _Gosh, I’m a sucker_. Truth told, she didn’t want to leave. She needed to do something about the headache, but she definitely wouldn’t mind spending the rest of the afternoon with Adora.

“We could watch something if you like? It’s been a while since I watched a movie,” Catra tried to pick the most innocent activity she could think of. Everyone knew that _a movie_ could still have some connotations, if you will, but she figured Adora would know she didn’t mean it that way. Not this time, anyway.

“A movie _would_ be nice,” Adora murmured. The thought of curling up with Catra on the couch was much more approachable than some of the… _other_ feelings she was having about her. “What do you want to watch? I’m up for pretty much anything!”

Catra thought for a moment. She wasn’t really big on movies, if she was being honest – sometimes they were more of a means to an end than anything else. She furrowed her brow, but before she could come up with anything, Adora interjected:

“Oh! Have you seen any Ghibli movies? They’re my favourite. The animation is just so beautiful!” The worry had slipped away from her face, which gave Catra some comfort. She wasn’t usually big on animated things, but if it meant Adora was happy… It couldn’t hurt, she figured.

“I haven’t, actually – well, I think I saw one in middle school. Princess something?”

“Princess Mononoke! Ooh, that’s a good one. If you haven’t seen Howl’s Moving Castle, how about we watch that? It’s a _classic_.”

“Sure, that works. But before we do though, um…” she trailed off. “This headache is kind of killing me. Do you have coffee or something?”

Adora shook her head grimly.

“No coffee, I’m afraid. It… does things to me. We do have tea though? Glimmer has some yerba mate in the cupboard, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind sharing if you’d like some?” She stood to put on the kettle.

“Thanks, Adora,” Catra said, sheepishly. Adora dug around in the cupboard for a moment, and eventually pulled out a little bag of mate. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she darted off to the bathroom.

A moment later, she returned with a bottle of Tylenol.

“Do you need some of these? Might help take the edge off before you get the caffeine in your system,” she explained matter-of-factly. Catra accepted, and a glass of water appeared a moment later on the table in front of her.

“Why don’t you get settled on the couch? I’ll get everything set up in a sec. Oh, are you hungry? I think we have some snacks!”

Catra smiled. _She’s already doting on me, geez_. She hoisted herself up and flopped down on the couch, and a moment later Adora was setting a bowl of hummus, some crackers, and a mug of tea down on the coffee table in front of her. She left the room once more, only to return with a big fluffy blanket under one arm and her laptop under the other a moment later.

“OK! All set.” She plopped down next to Catra, careful to leave a little gap between them on the couch. She flicked on the TV, pulled up Netflix on her laptop, and put on _Howl’s Moving Castle_. As she leaned back into the couch, she felt the warmth of Catra closing the gap she’d left between them, but she made no protest. The gentle presence of Catra’s slender frame next to her was a comfort, and she found herself very thankful that they’d run into one another in the first place. She pulled the blanket up over them, and settled in.

***

Forty-five minutes later, Howl was having a meltdown over his _ghastly_ new hair—orange, if you’d believe it—and Catra was dozing quietly on Adora’s shoulder. She could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breaths, deep and slow, as the other girl slept. Adora took the opportunity to study Catra’s features a little more closely. Faint freckles lined her cheeks. Her eyebrows were bold, but neatly styled, and her soft mess of short, curly brown hair looked so inviting. _I could get used to this_ , Adora mused to herself. _She’s so soft and gentle. When she’s asleep, anyway_. She sighed contentedly, turned back to the movie, and let herself enjoy a comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was fluffier than i was planning for, but them's the breaks! smut can wait
> 
> as always i am @pikkutay on twitter <3 thanks for reading! comments and feedback appreciated! enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this one took so long folks, i am in the midst of a minor life crisis so this kind of took the backburner for a few days. enjoy!! <3

When Adora woke up, it took her a few minutes to fully come to her senses. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the clock in the kitchen. _6:13?_ Weird. She looked around: her laptop was open – asleep – on the coffee table beside her. There was a pillow at the end of the couch, and a blanket had been draped over her, but she didn’t remember laying down for a nap.

And then it hit her. Catra had been there – but she wasn’t here anymore. There weren’t any shoes by the door, and the apartment was totally quiet, so Glimmer was probably still out with Bow as well. She felt a tinge of disappointment at the realization that Catra had left, but it made sense. Since she’d fallen asleep too, it probably would have been a little weird for Catra to hang around waiting for her to wake up. _I wonder if she left a note or something_ …

She let out a little groan as she stood up. Sleeping on the couch never agreed with her – it’s really not good for your back. She moseyed over to the kitchen table, and smiled when she saw that Catra _had_ left her a note. It was brief, just a phone number and a tiny little smiley face, scribbled at the bottom of the whiteboard. But it was something, and it meant that Catra _probably_ wanted to see her again – though it’s not like she had much of a choice.

She decided to fire off a quick text. It couldn’t hurt, right? She wanted to make sure that Catra knew how much she’d enjoyed spending time with her. Maybe they could go on an actual date sometime, too, since Adora wasn’t really sure if accidentally ending up having lunch together and then watching a movie (napping) counted as a date. Probably not.

_Hey :) thanks for tucking me in. Sorry I fell asleep on you, I guess practice took_ _more out of me than I realized. Make_

_it home safe?_

She hesitated for just a moment, and then hit send. It didn’t make sense to pretend to act disinterested, or hold off on sending a text out of some sort of misguided sense of propriety. Better just to let things happen and see where they go. Right?

A moment later she realized that she’d forgotten something. It should be obvious, but better safe than sorry…

_(It’s Adora, by the way)_

Clarification sent, it was time to get her weekend sorted out. The fridge was empty, there was homework to do, meals to prep, and some other chores to handle. At some point, the overcast skies from earlier had opened up, and a steady rain beat down outside. She groaned. Normally she’d get groceries with Glimmer, whose car made the whole process very straightforward, but she resigned herself to the rain, and headed out the door a moment later, reusable bags in tow.

***

Catra had stirred from her sleep as the closing credits were rolling, and very quickly realized she’d been totally conked out for the entire movie. It was kind of a shame – if she’d stayed awake she probably would have been able to appreciate the cuddling a bit more – but that’s what happens when you’re hungover and under-caffeinated. Truth told, she woke up feeling a lot better than she did at the start of the day, so it kind of worked out in the end. She’d been very careful to avoid waking Adora on her way out; she didn’t want to interfere with a nap as hard-earned as hers must have been. She’d managed to get Adora to lay down on the couch without much trouble, and had pulled the blanket up to cover her sleeping form.

To tell you the truth, Catra had been pretty captivated by how gorgeous this girl looked while she dozed. Her cheeks were rosy with sleep, her hair was halfway out of the ponytail it had been in all day, and she just looked so _content_. Okay, so she was drooling a little too, but nobody’s perfect. She’d valiantly fought the urge to give her a little kiss on the head on her way out, scooped up the hummus and her half-finished tea, and placed them in the fridge and sink, respectively. Then she’d slipped on her shoes and gone home, but not before scribbling her number on the whiteboard.

And now she was tackling the mess. Reminders of her _wild Friday night_ were scattered around her apartment, and she was fighting back a wave of guilt as she tidied them up. When she opened the fridge and realized that the entire 12-pack of beer she’d brought home the night previous was _gone_ , shame turned into irritation. This really wasn’t good. She couldn’t afford to be drinking that kind of money away all the time. Not to mention the kind of ramifications it was having on her schooling. Last year she’d managed to keep her grades afloat by basically cramming entire courses in the days leading up to her exams, but that’s not sustainable, and she knew it.

Her phone buzzed, and she felt herself perk up momentarily. As she set down the bag of cans she was carrying, it buzzed again, and when she opened the messages she couldn’t help but laugh. She typed back:

_Well, duh. How many girls do you think I’ve napped with today? and I guess we’re even, cause I fell asleep first._

Adora’s reply came less than a minute later.

_Very funny. You looked adorable curled up on my shoulder, btw. Let’s hang out again sometime? Are you feeling better?_

Catra smiled. Adora clearly wasn’t shy about speaking her mind. She was so friendly and eager, and so far she’d treated Catra with a gentle kindness that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She did worry, though. What would Adora think when she found out about how much of a _mess_ she was? Would that scare her off? She cast her gaze downward to the bag of cans on the floor, and felt the guilt and shame creeping back. Things had been hard. Her mental health had never been amazing, and her first year at uni had been a pretty isolating experience. She’d managed to make one friend – a mature student named Scorpia – but otherwise she spent most of her time alone.

Was she even really capable of being in a relationship? Her high school girlfriend had broken up with her just a month into her first semester away, and none of her messy tinder hookups had magically made a relationship materialize either. She sighed. If she fucked this up, the rest of the term was going to be uncomfortable. The department was notoriously inflexible with lab sections as well, so it’s not like she could just ask to switch if things went south. Then again, if she brushed Adora off now… That might actually be worse. And if it ended up working out, well – that would be pretty nice.

C: _A little better. And yeah, I’ll take you on a proper date sometime? How about after our lab on Friday?_

A: _Fridays aren’t great. I have practice super early on Saturday every week :( how about Saturday night?_

C: _Works for me. Dinner?_

A: _sure :)_

C: _Do you like sushi? I know a nice place_

A: _never had it… but I’m up for anything!_

Catra balked. _How has this girl never had sushi before?_

C: _OK well we definitely need to get you on board with the whole sushi thing_

A: _deal :) it’s a date?_

C: _sure is_

_So that’s settled, I guess_. She was going on a date—a real one—with the gorgeous blonde from the chemistry lab. Despite her earlier reservations, Catra couldn’t help but look forward to it. More time with Adora would be a welcome distraction from everything else going on, and she hadn’t managed to fuck anything up yet, though only 24 hours had passed since their first real encounter.

With renewed resolve, Catra returned to the task at hand: tidying up the apartment. An hour later, the dishes dripped in the rack, the cans were taken out, and the clothes were in the laundry. There still wasn’t really any food in the fridge, but that was a tomorrow problem. With the apartment tidied up, she could focus on the homework she needed to finish, and she spent the rest of her night working busily away.

***

It was only a ten minute walk home from the grocery store, but by the time Adora made it back, she was absolutely soaked. Her coat wasn’t really waterproof, and it’s pretty tough to carry an umbrella with your hands full. She’d barely made it through the doorway when Glimmer practically pounced on her.

“ADORA! Ohmygod. I thought maybe you’d gone _home_ with her. What happened after I left?”

Adora hadn’t been expecting to see Glimmer again that day – usually if she went to Bow’s, she didn’t come back until the next morning. She shrugged.

“Nothing crazy. We watched a movie, both of us fell asleep… I woke up and she’d left me her number on the whiteboard.” She gestured to the table, bags in hand. “Wanna help me dry this stuff off?”

Glimmer grabbed a tea towel and set about drying off the groceries while Adora pulled off her soaking jacket. She grabbed her towel from the bathroom and started drying off her hair. It was _really_ coming down out there.

“What about you? I’m surprised to see you back from Bow’s so early.”

“Oh, he has a thing early tomorrow. A… hackathon? I dunno. I didn’t want to get up at the ass-crack of dawn on a Sunday, so I came home after we had dinner,” Glimmer explained. “Is that really all that happened with Catra?”

Adora raised an eyebrow at her. “Yup. Why? Is that so hard to believe?”

“Oh my god, Adora,” Glimmer said. “The way that girl was looking at you? I’m surprised you’re not covered in love bites.”

Adora turned a deep red. “Well, nothing happened, okay? We just cuddled a little. …And we have a date next weekend.”

“Ooh!” Glimmer clasped her hands together. “What are you two getting up to?”

Adora winced. This wasn’t going to go over well.

“She’s taking me to a sushi restaurant?” Adora’s hesitant tone almost made it sound like a question.

Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

“Adora. I have been trying to get you to try sushi. For. MONTHS.”

Adora made a sheepish grimace and half-heartedly shrugged, hand on the back of her neck. Glimmer continued:

“So you won’t try it with me—your _best_ friend—but Catra-who-you-met-yesterday can take you for sushi?”

“I’m sorry, Glimmer! I didn’t know how to tell her that I was scared to try it. I’m still kinda freaked out about the idea, you know.”

“It’s fine,” Glimmer replied, teeth ever-so-slightly clenched. “If you like it you have to come out for sushi with Bow and I sometime, OK?”

Adora nodded. She knew Glimmer was exaggerating her displeasure, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She’d been brushing off Glimmer’s ploys to get her into sushi for ages.

“Oh, and Adora?” Glimmer added. “She has you wrapped around her finger already and it’s been like, a day. You’re screwed.”

Adora chose to ignore her comment, and instead busied herself with putting away the groceries that Glimmer had dried. The bread she’d bought had managed to hold up despite getting a healthy shower. In fact, most of the groceries had survived the journey. The sole casualty was the now-soggy croissant she’d bagged at the bakery section. She frowned. _I was looking forward to that_.

“Adora?” Glimmer inquired. She was peering at Adora very intently – it was almost unnerving.

“Uh, yes?” Adora replied.

“I hope things go well with Catra. Just be careful, OK?”

Adora nodded. She’d never been in a serious relationship before, and Glimmer knew it. There had been this girl on her hockey team in high school… but things with her never materialized into anything with a label. Obviously it was a little early to be thinking about any label other than _lab partner_ with Catra, but a girl can dream, right?

Once they’d managed to get the groceries sorted, Adora set about making some dinner. She wasn’t an amazing cook, but she could manage healthy staples. Mostly that meant stir fry with tofu, or chicken, or shrimp, but Adora didn’t mind the repetition. She was mostly concerned with making sure that the meals she was eating were going to be good fuel for her practices and workouts. Tonight’s meal was a favourite – shrimp stir fry with snow peas, bok choy, carrots, onion, and red chiles, bound together with a simple ginger-soy sauce. Usually she made brown rice, but tonight she was doing jasmine, as a treat.

For Glimmer, watching Adora make rice was always a trial. She refused to learn how to use the rice cooker, like a _normal_ person, and instead opted to cook it on the stove. The first time this had happened, early on in their roommate days, Glimmer had gone to great lengths to teach her the fineries of the rice cooker, in all its blessed simplicity. Despite this, Adora had continued in her foolhardy ways, which more often than not resulted in mushy, overcooked rice.

Tonight, though, her rice turned out well. She had a mountain of stir fry that would last a few days, and with the food situation sorted, she let herself relax for the rest of the evening.

***

There was a whole week’s worth of time to kill before the date, and Adora was, to put it lightly, excited. She had a hard time focusing for much of Sunday, which was when the reality of the whole situation set in. She spent a couple hours working through the lab report with Glimmer, which – thanks to Catra – they were actually able to complete to a reasonable standard. Glimmer was still not on board with molecular orbitals, but the important thing was that the reports were done, and Adora could work on some of the more menial homework she had to do.

Her mind wandered, though. She kept longingly gazing at the couch, fondly remembering the feeling of a sleeping Catra passed out on her shoulder. By mid-afternoon, the late summer sun was shining through the apartment’s windows, and she decided to go for a run to work off some steam.

Adora’s normal route took her through a park and along a river, and she’d planned it out so that the loop was almost exactly 5 kilometers. Despite living in a moderately large city, there was plenty of gorgeous greenery and parkland to enjoy, and she found that running was a great way to spend time in nature and get her daily workout in as well.

Today, though, the 5k loop wasn’t enough. There was too much on her mind, too much energy to burn. It was beautiful out, if a touch on the warm side, but she decided to do a second loop, just for good measure. There was no way she was going to make it to Saturday without having some kind of aneurysm if this kept up. She needed something to keep her busy.

The start of her week proved to be something of a struggle. She’d been hoping that practice on Tuesday would help to quell some of her anxious energy, but she was distracted and everyone on the ice knew it. Her coach, a stern, older butch named Katherine, had raised an eyebrow at her after she bungled a relatively elementary play—twice—and afterwards, she’d pulled Adora aside.

“Adora, this is very uncharacteristic of you. I’m going to trust you’re having an off day, because I’ve never seen you play this poorly before. I’m sending out the e-mail with the lineup for the start of the season on Saturday and I’m not going to hold this against you – but if it happens again, we’re going to have to have a talk.”

Adora nodded sheepishly.

“Sorry, Kat. It won’t happen again. I, um. I think I’m just having an off day.”

“Good. See you Saturday.”

She’d left the arena feeling pretty defeated. _Get it together, Adora. Seriously._ She was annoyed. If she repeated today’s performance on Saturday – the actual day _of_ the date – she’d be in some serious hot water with her coach. And she didn’t think she could handle feeling this crazy for the rest of an entire _week_.

And then she had an idea. Instead of going stir-crazy in anticipation of the date, she could try to focus that nervous energy somewhere productive. Like towards her orgo lab, for example. Last Friday had been cute, but she didn’t want Catra to have to guide her through the lab every week for the rest of the term. That… could be a weird dynamic, actually. She quietly resolved to show up to the next lab _exceedingly_ well-prepared.

After stripping off all her gear and having a shower, she was off to class. She poked her head in and looked for Glimmer, as usual. She hadn’t considered the possibility that Catra would actually show up – not after two weeks of absences. It hadn’t even crossed her mind. And yet. There she was. Sitting next to Glimmer. Her backpack was on the seat next to her, claiming it. For her, presumably. _Shit_.

Adora had not factored this possibility into her mental gameplan. It didn’t make any sense to stand at the back of the room and gawk, though, so she sidled over. As she drew near, Catra glanced at her and gave her a grin.

“Hey, Catra. Hey Glimmer. Um, this seat taken?” _God, that’s cheesy. Nice._

“Hey, Adora. All yours,” Catra said, as she pulled her bag to the floor.

Adora flopped down. She was tuckered out, which was probably a good thing, considering how jittery she might be otherwise. She turned to look at Catra and gave her a tired smile.

“Practice this morning?” Catra asked.

“Mhmm. I’m pooped,” she replied, as she sunk a little further into her seat. “I’m surprised to see you here,” she continued. As she spoke, she thought she saw a flash of… something, in Catra’s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. _Annoyance?_ Adora wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Well, I figured it was time to take things a _touch_ more seriously,” Catra shot back. “And besides, I figured it would be fun to play footsies with this cutie next to me.”

Adora reddened slightly. Catra gave her a look, and then gave Glimmer’s foot a gentle nudge with her own.

Adora opened her mouth, as if about to protest, but she couldn’t manage a sound. Catra laughed, and Glimmer shot a dangerous glare at her.

“OK, _enough_ ,” Glimmer warned. “You two are nauseating, and that wasn’t funny. Look what you’ve done to Adora!”

Adora, beet-red, was trying to make herself small in her chair. It wasn’t working – tall, well-muscled women don’t exactly shrink easily. Her cheeks were _burning_ with embarrassment, and she was suddenly wondering if coming to class today was the right move.

Catra, at least, seemed to pick up on the fact that she’d maybe gone a little too far. She gave Adora a gentle nudge with her elbow, as if to apologize. The prof was due to start rambling any second, and Adora chose to ignore Catra and instead take very intent notes for the duration of the lecture.

After class, Catra followed her out of the lecture hall, and they lingered together in the hallway for a moment. Adora was still a little irritated with her, but it _was_ kind of funny. She leaned against the wall to avoid the steady stream of students traversing the hall, and Catra stood in front of her, looking a little sheepish.

“Sorry, Adora. I thought it would be funny, but… too much?”

Adora smirked. Catra didn’t seem shy about teasing her, but clearly she had a conscience as well.

“Maybe a little much for class? Glimmer didn’t seem super impressed.”

Catra nodded, and looked down slightly, hand on the back of her neck. She almost looked _guilty_. Adora softened a little.

“Oh, Catra, c’mon. It’s not that big of a deal. I can take a little teasing, you know.”

Catra looked back up, and gave Adora a little smile. Adora felt… something, some sort of warmth, rising in her chest. She flushed a little, and then it was her turn to look away sheepishly. They stood there a moment – the hall was emptying now, as the crowds trickled methodically into the lecture halls. Neither of them spoke, but neither made any motion to leave, either.

A brief minute passed, and Adora broke the silence.

“Catra? Um, do you need to be—?” she stopped short. Catra had drawn up closer, and Adora’s eyes widened as Catra’s hand gently brushed her arm. And then – Catra brought her lips up to meet Adora’s, for a brief moment – and then she stepped back.

“Yes,” she said softly. “I’m late for class. See you Thursday, Adora.”

And she set off briskly down the hall.

***

That night, at home, Adora lay on the couch. She felt surprisingly calm; the nervous energy she’d been battling had subsided, and her hallway encounter with Catra had provided some much-needed reassurance. Not only did Catra want her – that much was obvious, even to Adora – she was capable of being _gentle_ about it. The feeling of Catra’s lips against hers had stayed with her all day. She hadn’t told Glimmer yet; she was clearly stressed out about something, and was currently holed up in her room listening to Paramore, by the sounds of it, which is not usually a good sign. Despite her concern, she knew that Glimmer would come out and talk when she was ready, and so she worked away at the dining room table until that happened.

She was knee-deep in chemistry notes – in preparation for her lab on Friday – when Glimmer trudged out of her room. Her eyes were rimmed red from tears, and she looked absolutely miserable. She poured herself a glass of water and then tumbled into the chair across from Adora. Adora winced.

“Glimmer? Do you… want to talk about it?”

Glimmer’s elbows were on the table, face buried in her hands. She let out a sad-sounding groan.

“I did something stupid and now Bow is furious with me! And I totally deserve it. I am _such_ an idiot!” She looked ruefully at Adora.

_Uh oh._ Glimmer and Bow didn’t usually have troubles – this was definitely unusual. Adora decided not to pry into what had happened, but before she could say anything comforting, Glimmer continued.

“It’s about that hackathon? You remember, on Sunday? He’d been talking about it for weeks and I _somehow_ didn’t pick up on how important it was to him! When he asked me to come with him I totally brushed him off. I didn’t realize that he was so nervous about going!” Glimmer choked back a sob.

“I’m sorry, Glimmer. Is there anything I can do to help? Have you eaten anything?”

“Ughhh. I don’t think so. He just needs some space and I guess this is just going to hurt for a while. I need to make it up to him, but…” Glimmer shook her head. “Space. I’ll give him space.”

Adora nodded. “If that’s what he asked for, then give it a few days, OK?”

Glimmer sighed. Her tummy grumbled, and Adora raised an eyebrow at her.

“There’s some stir-fry in the fridge, help yourself, OK?”

“Thanks, Adora. Can I have a hug?”

“Definitely.” Adora stood to meet her, and wrapped her up in a warm embrace. There were perks to being strong and athletic, and giving good hugs was one of them. Adora wasn’t super affectionate with her friends most of the time, but over the years she’d grown to appreciate the utility of these hugs. Sometimes it’s just what you need.

When Glimmer pulled away, she wiped her eyes and tried for a weak smile. It didn’t translate well, but Adora could tell she’d be okay. In a few days, she figured, they’d probably be totally back to normal, and Glimmer would be back to her happy self. Or so she hoped.

It didn’t feel right to tell Glimmer that Catra had kissed her, given the situation. That could wait for another day. Besides, the real story to tell would be about whatever ended up happening on their date on Saturday. She watched Glimmer heat up some food, smiling contentedly to herself. The thought of kissing Catra again – of Catra kissing _her_ again – was what was going to get her through the week.

She couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is basically entirely written in my head, so as long as things arent too crazy i hope to have it done soon! as always feedback is appreciated, hope you enjoyed! <3

**Author's Note:**

> u can find me on twitter @pikkutay if you like!


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